35mm is my favorite main focal length, the angle of view is not too big or too small for humanistic shots. The shots here were taken with the new 35mm f/1.5 large aperture lens from Voigtländer. This lens is a recent release with the full name Voigtländer NOKTON Vintage Line 35mm F1.5 Aspherical VM – which is a long name for a lens with a lightweight and vintage appearance.
The lens features a new modern design, with two double-sided aspherical lenses in a 6-group, 9-element structure. The heaviest brass version is less than 300g, with a length of just 36mm and a filter size of just 39mm, which is smaller than many M-series 35mm/2 lenses. It provides virtually no obstruction of the viewfinder, and with an extra stop of aperture leeway as well as a minimum focus distance of as close as 50cm, it’s a very versatile lens.
The best battlefield for large aperture lenses is the low-light environment. This is what made it ideal for use when shooting with a local Cantonese Opera performance. I mounted it on the Leica M6 stuffed a roll of Kodak VISION3 5219T film.
Personally, I think the performance of this lens on film is amazing. The optical modernization of the design coupled with the resolution, color contrast and lower aberrations make for great results. There is some vignetting and a slight drop in the resolution of the middle frame, but as the only shortcomings of this lens I noticed, even they had almost no impact. Combined with the Voigtländer’s own consistently good flare control, the experience of using it on film is almost perfect.
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Jose Durao on 5 Frames of Kodak VISON3 5219T on a Leica M6 with Nokton 35mm F1.5 in Cantonese Opera Backstage
Comment posted: 18/08/2024
Comment posted: 18/08/2024
Ibraar Hussain on 5 Frames of Kodak VISON3 5219T on a Leica M6 with Nokton 35mm F1.5 in Cantonese Opera Backstage
Comment posted: 18/08/2024
You’ve shot the film the way it’s supposed to be shot
Everything from lighting to shadow is nailed
Comment posted: 18/08/2024
Jukka Reimola on 5 Frames of Kodak VISON3 5219T on a Leica M6 with Nokton 35mm F1.5 in Cantonese Opera Backstage
Comment posted: 18/08/2024
Comment posted: 18/08/2024
Russ Rosener on 5 Frames of Kodak VISON3 5219T on a Leica M6 with Nokton 35mm F1.5 in Cantonese Opera Backstage
Comment posted: 18/08/2024
Comment posted: 18/08/2024
Daniel Castelli on 5 Frames of Kodak VISON3 5219T on a Leica M6 with Nokton 35mm F1.5 in Cantonese Opera Backstage
Comment posted: 19/08/2024
Voigtlander is really stepping up their game. I considered both the 1.5 and the Ultron f/2.0. Both are superb lenses, but I got the f/2.0 based on weight and size.
Comment posted: 19/08/2024
Luciano Santo on 5 Frames of Kodak VISON3 5219T on a Leica M6 with Nokton 35mm F1.5 in Cantonese Opera Backstage
Comment posted: 20/08/2024
Comment posted: 20/08/2024
Klaus Wirz on 5 Frames of Kodak VISON3 5219T on a Leica M6 with Nokton 35mm F1.5 in Cantonese Opera Backstage
Comment posted: 21/08/2024
One technical question though: this seems to be not the Voigtländer sunshade, but an aftermarket shade. Does it have a hard stop that secures correct alignment via the bayonet or does it couple via the filter thread ?
Thank you!
Comment posted: 21/08/2024
Jeffery Luhn on 5 Frames of Kodak VISON3 5219T on a Leica M6 with Nokton 35mm F1.5 in Cantonese Opera Backstage
Comment posted: 22/08/2024
Cantonese Opera is colorful and you did a great job capturing that! I also loved the last photo the most. While living in Hong Kong in 1995-1997, I attended several operas. I worked for a toy company and my staff of young Chinese engineers never wanted to accompany me! I don't speak any Cantonese, so I got a few books on the story plots. The music is a little hard on the ears sometimes, as is western opera, but costumes...WOW THE COSTUMES!! I really appreciated your photos. I bet you had many to choose from.
Comment posted: 22/08/2024
Graham Orbell on 5 Frames of Kodak VISON3 5219T on a Leica M6 with Nokton 35mm F1.5 in Cantonese Opera Backstage
Comment posted: 03/09/2024